Thoughtful Moments

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 119, 20 June 1941, Page 2

Thoughtful Moments

THE MESSAGE OF SORROW The deepest tragedies of war are to be found in the personal sorrows which men and women must suffer, rile long lists of casualties which are now appearing regularly in our daily papers bring us all nearer to the realisation that war is: a devilish thing. It is too easy to look with complacent eyes upon its tragedies so long as those tragedies do not touch us personally. When, however, Ave ourselves have to face the sorrow and anguish our complacency 's shattered and our horror made real. Cur deepest sympathy and praycrs -go out to all those who face bereavement and anxiety. For them the ugliness of war is' real. No mere words can ever comfort them. Only to those whose faith is stayed on God can there come any strength or comfort. They know that death is not the end of life, but only a new beginning. They know the reality r-f Christ's words, "In My Father's house arc many mansions ... I go to prepare a place for you."' They vnow that God never takes away unless He has something richer fai to give to our beloved and to us. That knowledge will not merely oasc their pain : it will give them I hat strong basis of character which enables men to look beyond the pre '•:nt to the fuiure with expectant hope. The sacrifice of one's life for a great cause is the noblest gift that can beg iven. It is good for the on? who gives to know that the gift is not made in vain. It is for us who remain to sec to it that their sacrifice was justified. We must be worthy of their sacrifice. How can we be so worthy ? Let us go to those who offer their lives so freely that Ave may discover their purpose. Some, few there) may be who were shallowly attracted by the offer of adventure. There is reason io doubt that that spirit is widespread. No, most if not all have faced the dangers of Avar for a great ideal. For some it was a sense of ■heir country's danger, for some it was an ideal of freedom, for others it was to protect the world of men from usurpation by cruelty, savagery and evil. They desired Avith all their hearts to protect tha spiritual gains which have been so hard Avon. More than this it would be true to say that while they looked upon the gains of the past as something worth dying for, they had also thn conviction that these gains were not complete, but were the foundations upon Avhich a better Avorkl could be built. This is the atmosphere in which our sorroAvs and griefs should live. If the result of their sacrifice merely leaves in their beloved and their friends feedings of frustration and bitterness, it will have been largely in vain. Such feelings Avould mean that Ave were thinking and. acting in a selfish regard for our personal loss. We Avould in very truth be be traying the cause for which tliev gave) their lives. If our tribute to them is real, Ave must carry on to its end the work in which they have been engaged. That does not mean necessarily that j

ne Ministers' Association

OUR SUNDAY MESSAGE (Supplied by Uie Whakatnne Ministers' Association).

wo oi!!.se lves should boar nrms ; but it does mean that we should follow their example and devote our own lives to the fulfilment of the ideals for which they suffered and died. They made their contribution in their own splendid way : we must make our contribution in no less a spirit of willing self-sacrifice. We ourselves will need to work md fight and, if need bc<, offer our lives—all that we have and are— for the maintenance of those ideals ol liberty, tolerance and eo-opera-livc love which have been gained through the centuries. V/e must strive with might and main to ensure that this country of ours is worthy of tlm sacrifices given for it. We must earnestly and sincerely work for the coming of the day when men of every kindred, nation and tongue shall work and live for their mutual well-being, when love, not hate, sharing, hot greed, shall be the dominant factors, in the affairs of all men. This is "an engagement very difficult," but it could be achieved if all men of goodwil 1 would work and live for it, if men would turn tv fJod and give, lo Him the devotion they now give to themselves. On-' I Lord taught us to pray "Thy Kingdom come." It is in the answer to that prayer, that men will find the secret for that new world order, when peace, liberty and love will reign. May we with energy and self-sacrifice give ourselves, freely in order that the accomplishment of that great ideal may be possible. In so doing we will transmute our sorrow and be worthy not only of our beloved who have paid the great price, but of our Lord, Who Himself made the sacrifice for us all.

FOR YOU

In the hard-pressed hours make time On your way For the glory of the day ; See the wideness of the sky, And the soft clouds floating by. If you've worries, crowding in Pause awhile ; Catch the sweetness of a smile, Breathe the freshness of the morn, And the peace of evening born. Since you labour for your bread, Tis for you The Rainbow writes its sign anew ; For you the wind blows strong and proud, & For you the sunshine parts the cloud.

PRAYER

Take from us the disordered clut ter of our spirits that the fountains of living water may rise again into life eternal. Teach our eyes, that have been obsessed with the ugliness of life, to see once more the possibilities of beauty. «. Re-oontre our hearts in the Eternal. Lead, us from the lowlands to the altitudes, and for the guerdon and reward of our worship may we have widened horizons and steadied faith when we go down to face the wrath of devils and the scorn of -men. We bring Thee, for our sacrifice of worship, our thanksgiving., Make it more genuine and real.